The Mysteries of the Court of London, Vol. 7 — page 355: what you’re looking at

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344 TH MYSTERIES OF THE COURT. le ee ate ee tn mee ten NTE C CC ea i '¥o write i¢; and now more forcibly than ever did I| peared, from what I could gather, co have been recollect my unclo’s imperious injunctions against | inktracted to keep a watch ower her movements, following in my late father’s footeteps and marrying | Moreover the day was a rainy one; and there was a penniless girl, But love has hope and faith | no pretext for Louisa to issue forth. The maid amongst its clamonts . undertook to deliver my note; and I returned to “I¢ baa,” thought Christian Ashton to himeclf, | the barracks, wondering what this sudden journey es the image of tho toauteous Isabella Vincont|on Mrs. Maxwell's part could mean—but con- rose up in bis mind. necting it with my own love-affair. On reaching “ And therefore,” continued Edgar Beverley, “ I ! the barracks, I strolled into the mess-room, where flattered myself that-my uncle would be moved on | four or five of my brother-officers were in conver- my behalf when I assured him in my letter that | sation with a gentleman in plain clothes, This my happinces was centred in that fair being, who, | gentleman was an officer in the Guards, and hed though without « fortune, was.a@ model of loveli- | come down to Brighton on the previous day for a ness, amiability, and virtue. When tho letter was | ahort trip. At the momont I entered, ho was re- finished, I sent it in an envelope to Mra. Maxwell, | lating an anecdote, which speedily became vitally that ghe might peruso ita contents and then de- | interesting to me.—‘I was up just now at the epatch it to the pust. You may be sure, Mr. | railwny-station,’ he said, ‘to make some inquiry Ashton, that I waited the reply with a considerable | relative to a lost carpet-bag; and while J was degree of suspense, although 1 endeavoured to | lounging there, waiting to sec a train go off, I fell persuade royeclf that it would prove favourable.!in with an old flame of.mine. I knew her inti- The return of poat brought mo the answer: it was| mately some nine or ten years ago; she was a singularly brief and laconic—and was to the offect | lovely creature then—she is a splendidly handsome that my unclo had an attack of the gout, or he} woman still. She passed from my hands into the would have come personally to Brighton to eee | keoping of arich old Baronet. Stop a moment, into the matter and explain his vicwa; but that he! and L shall remember his name !’—2He reflected had other meana of instituting inquiries, and that ‘for a few instants; and then suddenty recalling in the courac of a few days I should hear from him ; to mind the name which ho suught, he mentioned again. Within an hour after the regvipt of this|that of my own uncle. My brother-ollicers Jotter, a note wea handed to me by my sorvant at | laughingly informed him that he was thus speak- my quarters: i was from Mrs. Maxwell, requost-| ing in the presence of the nephew of the old ing that I would abstain from visiting at the house | Baronet whom he had just wentioned ; and he in until I should hear from her again. This requi-} a similar laughing mood exclaimed, ‘Well, | am nitwon struck me as singular, but did not fill me | eure that Mr. Beverley, if he happens to know this | with deapair. I rememberod that Mr. and Mrs. j lady, will admire his uncle's taste. Let me see: Maxwell bad been nequainted with my uncle: I | she married afterwards, and turned quite steady, thought thercforo that they might have written to! I beliove. Who was it that she marred? Ab, I lim by the samo post which conveyed my own |.rccollect! an old fellow with years enough to fit letter, and that they perbaps had recoived | him to be her grandfather, but with some little a reply in auch a sonso as to originate! property: and so sho became Mrs. Maxwell.’—I the request that was now conveyed to me.| should here observe that my love for Louisa had I persuaded myself that my uncle was taking’ been kept altogether a secret trom my brother- time for reflection — ur perhaps waiting to | officers; and thus they neither knew how interested ' ascertain through some channel or another whether | nur how pomed Io was by the startling disclosure Louisa was in reality all I had represented, and; that had just reached my cars. My ondeavour to therefore Worthy ot becoiing my wife. 7 said to | Jaugh and seem unconcerned was but a sickly one, myself (lint af theae conjectures were might, my | and | sped to my uwa room, there to give way to , Undlo wor sure ty give a favoural.? resporlse,( my reflections. Could the tale be true P—but f \ | { (a es wer “eee because ho could only hear everything ethat was| dared [ doubt it? Did it mot corroborate the caicuated to enhance the ammeble Loutsa in hia} whispers that I bad already heard in respect -to ostixuation; and Leven thought he wns acting a| Mrs. Maxwell's character? and did it not fully prudential part m taking time to make such in-| account for her strange beliaviour towards me quiries, inasmuch as though he had known the! while labouring under the idea that I all alung Maawelle, yet he had never seen Louisa heraclf, as | knew of her former equivooal convexiun with my sho was at school at the time ber siator and ber} uncle? Nor less did it account for the atrange brother-in-law were acquainted with my uncle in| language in which she had a tdreased me on the London. Still 1 was somewhat restless and uncesy | morning when she had surprised Louisa and at boing debarred the pleasure of visiting Louisa! uyself together im the garden. I alay, compre- for the present; and T pennod a note to her for! he ~led why she had ao readily aceepted my pro- the purpose of conveying comfor@during a separa- posar *o ehow ber the letter that 1 was to pon to tion which I besuught her to hope was only tow-! my unee: she doubtiess wished to be sure of the porary. I did not however koow precisely how to | terms in which I should speak of herself, au that convey this note: but as I sauntered near tha; she miyht, positively ascertain whetber I was Maxwolls’ dwelling—taking care not to be ecen | sincere in professing my ignorance of her ante- from the windowa-—I met the frieudly servant-|cedents. 1 was coeply grieved to think that mand. From her I learnt that in coneequence of | Louisa was ao .closely connected with euch a a letter received in tho morning, Mrs. Maxwell! woman ; and their I blamed myeelf for this feel. hid suddenly set off on s journey, and that it} ing, inasmach aa I kmew Louisa herself to be the was not known whither ehe had gone. I was like-| must immaculate of beings. While pursuing my wise told that Louisa was sitting with her old | reflections, methought shat Mrs. Maxwell's jour- brother-in-luw in the drawing-room; and he Gp-; ney might’now be explained; and I conjcotured 2 44 ° rhe He -erG ow 1 ee en A (©) = ELOOO© = — — = ee ie wee one eee ee! tee es oe a eee ~ age pee ee ee ee - = ~_—e_ SS